"Yes, Master!"
Souji materialized in front of Roy in an instant.
Her beautiful face was as cold as frost, like an executioner.
In the next moment, her figure moved silently, her steps ghostly as she drifted forward.
"A Servant?"
Bazett was slightly taken aback.
The Holy Grail War hadn't even started yet, and this person had already successfully summoned a Servant?
Though her mind was a step behind, her body moved without hesitation.
In the blink of an eye, the girl in the emerald-green haori had crossed the distance and was right in front of her.
Despite facing a hero whose name was etched in history, Bazett showed no fear. She pulled her left fist close to her face and shot her right fist forward like a bullet, aiming straight for the girl swordsman.
The girl's eyes were unwavering, showing no signs of retreat or mercy. Her dazzling blade didn't dodge or evade, slicing through the air and clashing directly with Bazett's fist.
Clang——!
The sound of fist meeting blade rang out, clear and resonant.
Souji's eyes flickered with surprise.
So hard—was it a reinforcement spell?
Her strength is also impressive, comparable to a firearm!
Bazett's expression remained unchanged. She retracted her right arm and thrust her left fist forward, aiming for Souji's sword-wielding wrist. Her punch was heavy and powerful, the air trembling with a faint wail as it moved.
Souji shifted her footing, dodging the punch while closing in on Bazett.
Bazett immediately blocked the slash with her right fist, while her left wrist twisted, bringing her arm down like a hammer toward Souji's face. Souji had no choice but to raise her sword hilt, using an upper guard stance to block the punch.
In their swift and fiery exchange, neither gained the upper hand.
In just a few seconds, the two had already exchanged over a dozen moves.
Souji's swordplay was exceptionally fierce. If there was even the slightest opening, she would seize it without hesitation, swiftly closing the distance with a relentless determination that seemed willing to trade blows just to take a piece out of her opponent.
But Bazett was cautious. She was wary of the Servant's strength and never overextended herself. Even while attacking, she maintained a defensive stance, seamlessly blending offense and defense. Any small openings were quickly covered, making her seem impregnable.
Souji's eyes flickered.
She hadn't expected such a warrior to exist in this era. This woman dressed in men's clothing, though a magus, was at her core a steady and composed fighter, her combat skills top-tier.
In her heart, she expressed admiration for this woman.
Then, her eyes narrowed, and a glow of magical energy surrounded her. The energy flowing from her Master greatly enhanced her strength. She took a large step forward, her slender figure now carrying explosive power akin to a cannon, charging fiercely toward Bazett.
"A change in tactics?"
Bazett was startled.
Souji's momentum had become several times more intense.
She took a few steps back, avoiding the initial thrust, her mind hesitating for a moment.
Martial arts emphasize the balance between strength and speed. Techniques that enhance power may grant greater force, but they also inevitably create larger openings.
As this thought crossed her mind, Souji was already closing in, dragging her sword behind her before slashing upward toward Bazett's side.
Bazett narrowed her eyes.
Was it a miscalculation in height?
The girl's sword wasn't parallel to her line of sight, instead revealing the side of the blade.
When the sword is parallel to the line of sight, it appears as a thin line to the opponent, making it difficult to judge the blade's length and the distance between them. This forces the opponent to retreat in panic to protect themselves.
But if the angle is miscalculated, exposing the side of the blade, the opponent can easily gauge the distance, block the strike, and even seize the opportunity to close in and deliver a fatal blow.
Was this a genuine mistake due to focusing too much on offense, or was it a trap?
If it was a real opening, then perhaps she could win in a single move!
"Against a Heroic Spirit, I can't afford to be reckless!"
Bazett's heart raced with excitement, but in the end, she chose to retreat rather than attack.
Souji pressed her assault with over a dozen fierce strikes, deliberately leaving obvious openings every few moves, as if inviting Bazett to seize them and gain the upper hand.
But after seeing Bazett focus solely on evasion without taking the bait, Okita Souji frowned slightly.
She wasn't falling for it.
She had intentionally left several openings, and from Bazett's reactions, it was clear she was tempted. But no matter how much Souji tried to lure her, Bazett always suppressed her impulses, staying true to her cautious nature and never overreaching. Her discipline was astonishing.
A warrior like this, even in her own era, would undoubtedly have been a leading figure of the times.
"But as an enemy of my Master, I will definitely cut you down!"
Souji's resolve hardened, and the killing intent on her face deepened.
Suddenly, her figure crossed over ten meters in an instant, appearing right in front of Bazett.
It was as if she had teleported, stepping forward and erasing the distance between them in a single motion. The continuous action of running was abruptly transformed into two static states—one moment she was here, the next she was there.
"What?!"
Bazett's eyes widened in shock.
Tsubame Gaeshi!
Souji assumed the Hira Seigan stance, her sword tip pointed directly at Bazett's left eye.
Bazett felt a sharp, bullet-like pain in her left eye. Before her brain could even process what was happening, her body moved on its own, her feet rapidly stepping backward as her left arm, held close to her face, quickly rose to block.
Clang——!
The resonant sound of the collision echoed like a bell, and Bazett was sent flying backward like a bullet. She slid over ten meters before barely managing to stop herself, quickly flipping back to her feet and reassuming her fighting stance.
A burning pain shot through her left arm, but Bazett didn't dare to look at the wound. Her eyes remained locked on the petite golden-haired swordsman not far away, not daring to relax for even a moment. Beads of cold sweat dripped from her forehead.
"If I hadn't started with a defensive stance, that strike would have pierced through my brain!"
Bazett's heart pounded with terror, her chest heaving from the close call.
She had almost died!
She had just walked through the gates of hell, and even the King of Hell would have been surprised by her sudden visit.
If she had been even slightly tempted to overreach, she would never have been able to block that move.
"That definitely wasn't teleportation. If it were, I wouldn't have had any chance to dodge. It must have been some kind of footwork technique! A technique that utilizes swordsmanship, breathing, blind spots, body movement, and even human perception—the pinnacle of footwork!"
Bazett pulled both arms close to her chin, assuming a full defensive stance, her eyes unblinking as they locked onto Souji.
"But now that I'm prepared, if I focus entirely on defense—"
Bazett's mind raced as she calculated. From that last strike, she had gained a rough understanding of the girl swordsman's Shukuchi technique.
***
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